Thousands of junior doctors are staging the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS after the Health Secretary made it clear a new contract will go ahead.

It was revealed that locum doctors are being paid thousands of pounds a day and even more than £100 an hour in some cases.

According to data gathered by recruitment company MSI Group, 96 per cent of NHS Trusts have been forced to use agencies outside of approved frameworks in order to maintain patient safety.

The manager of one A&E unit in the north of England said: “Since the introduction of the locum cap we have had a significant increase in the number of gaps unfilled, which is detrimental to patient care and safety.”

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Doctors are allegedly being paid for more hours than they actually do

Dr Mann added: “There isn’t a conspiracy here – they are all individuals. They’re making their own decision and more people than before are saying ‘It doesn’t make sense.’”

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, described the system has a “very bad small about it” and “very poor management”.